Amazon Revealed by the BBC: Analysis and News about the Bezos Bulldozer
February 18, 2020
The BBC is a subsidized news outfit. As a person who lives in America, I don’t understand the approach taken to either obtaining money or to programming. I do miss the Lilliburlero tune. Also, wouldn’t it be helpful to be able to locate BBC audio programs? Well, maybe not.
DarkCyber noted “Why Amazon Knows So Much about You.” The write up is notable for several reasons. First, it uses one of those Web layouts that are popular: Sliding windows, white text on black backgrounds, and graphics like this one of Mr. Bezos, zeros and ones, and a headline designed to make the reader uncomfortable:
Second, the article is labeled as news, but it is more of a chatty essay about Amazon, its Great Leader, and the data the company gathers via the front scoop of the Bezos bulldozer. But news? Maybe one of those chatty podcasts which purport to reveal the secrets of some companies’ success.
Third, the write up seems long. There are plenty of snappy graphics, dialog which reads a bit like the script for the video program Silicon Valley, and embedded video; for example, Margreth Vestager:
Note that this image is in close proximity to this image of Mr. Bezos and his friend. Happenstance? Sure.
The write up goes deep into Amazon history with details about a snowy, cold, and dark night. The stage setting is worthy of Edward Bulwer Lytton, the fellow who allegedly coined the phrase “the pen is mightier than the sword.” Is the BBC’s pen mightier than an Amazon sword, available in the US for $23.70 with free shipping for Prime members:
With that in mind, what is “Why Amazon Knows So Much about You?”
The most straightforward way to respond to this question is to look at what the write up covers. Here’s the general layout of the almost 5,000 word “semi news” story:
Introduction with the author’s personal take on Amazon
The early days (the meeting in the mountains) of “planning to suck data”
Amazon’s approach to business: Slippery, clever, and maybe some Google-style deflection
The Ring moment when the Shark Tank people proved they were not qualified to work for Mr. Bezos
Amazon is just like those other American monopolies and the sky is falling because staff are complaining about many things
Amazon’s big ideas for making even more money.
Several observations:
- The author has a lot of help with these 4,000 plus words; for example, Producer: James Percy, Online Editor: Kathryn Westcott, Illustration: Emma Lynch, Panorama Executive Producer: Karen Wightman, the Panorama Team: Matthew Hill, Jenny Parks, Laura Fitzpatrick, and images from Getty, Alamy.
- The write up paints a less than pleasant picture of the company. It is unlikely than Mr. Bezos will be more upset about this “real news” story than articles appearing in the Washington Post. But it is clear that the goal was to raise some doubts about the wisdom of buying products online from Amazon
- The surveillance (what I call policeware) content presents a narrow picture of one initiative. Apparently the BBC is not aware of the contracts Amazon has with the British government. Some information about those would be interesting. The inclusion of some data about why Amazon is garnering these contracts would be helpful. But no, just the door bell play.
Quite a news story. What’s the call to action? I don’t know. Amazon has been chugging along for about 25 years. (Wasn’t Amazon a story in the late 1990s?)
The Bezos bulldozer may have smashed the horse barn setting the animals loose. The owners of the barn probably ordered saddles and other horse gear on Amazon. Amazon repurposed the land for a new warehouse. And the horses? A bit like owners of small shops in Stow-on-the-Wold which order their products on … Amazon.
The BBC write up is a good example of the sub genre of “news” called “amagenic writing.” Does the BBC staff purchase via Amazon?
Stephen E Arnold, February 18, 2020
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